Jeremy Roenick

Playing career

Roenick was drafted eighth overall in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. He made his NHL debut that year on October 6 against the Rangers and then scored his first goal on February 14 against the North Stars. In 20 games at the NHL level, Roenick scored 18 points. In the playoffs, he helped the Blackhawks reach the second round. in the 1988-1989 season, Jeremy joined the Blackhawks full-time and helped the team improve 22 points to win the Norris Division season title. He scored 26 goals and 66 points. During the playoffs Roenick helped the Blackhawks reach the Campbell Conference finals before losing to the Oilers. He scored 18 points in 20 games.

In 1990-1991, Roenick paced the team with ten game-winning goals as the Blackhawks improved another 18 points to win the Presidents' Trophy. Roenick finished second on the team with 41 goals, 53 assists and 94 points and played in his first mid-season All-Star Game. In six playoff games, he scored eight points. The following year, Roenick again paced the team with 53 goals, 50 assists and 103 points and played in his second All-Star Game. While the team dropped to second in the Norris Division during the regular season, they marched all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in the playoffs. Roenick scored 22 points in 18 games as the team captured the Clarence Campbell Bowl over the Oilers before losing to the Penguins in the final round.

In 1992-1993, Roenick led the Blackhawks with 50 goals, 107 points and 22 power-play goals as the team improved 19 points to win their third Norris Division title in four years (47 wins, 106 points). During the season, Roenick played in his third All-Star Game. In the playoffs, he scored three points in four games. At year's end, he ranked tenth on The Hockey News' Top-25 Players list. In 1993-1994, Roenick again led his team in goals (46), points (107) and power-play goals (career high 24) as the Blackhawks fell back 19 points in the standings. He led the team with a +21 plus/minus rating and career highs in assists (61), short-handed goals (five) and shots (281) and played in his fourth mid-season All-Star Game. In the post-season, he scored seven points in six playoff games. At year's end, he ranked tenth on The Hockey News' Top-40 Players list. He also won the Chicago Sports Profiles Humanitarian of the Year Award.

In the shortened 1994-1995 season, Roenick scored 34 points in 33 games. He missed 15 games with a bruised tibia. He played eight games in the playoffs as the Blackhawks reached the Western Conference final. In 1995-96, Roenick scored 67 points in 66 games before missing the last 11 games with a sprained ankle. At year's end, he was the team's leader with 32 goals.

On August 16, 1996, Roenick was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes for Alexei Zhamnov and Craig Mills. In his first season with his new team, Roenick scored 29 goals and 69 points. In 1997-1998, he finished second on the team with 56 points. In 1998-1999, he led the Coyotes with 72 points and played in his fifth All-Star Game while also knocking 154 hits. In 1999-2000, Roenick again led the Coyotes in scoring, this time racking up 34 goals and 78 points. He tallied 125 hits on the season and played in his sxith All-Star Game. In 2000-01, Roenick led the Coyotes with 30 goals and 76 points. He played 80 games and knocked 133 hits.

On July 2, 2001, Roenick signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers. In his first season with the Flyers he won both the Bobby Clarke (MVP) and Yanick Dupre (Class Guy) team awards. He led the team with 46 assists, 67 points, and a +32 plus/minus rating as the Flyers won the Atlantic Division title. On January 30, he scored his 1,000th NHL point in a match against the Senators. Three nights later, he played in the mid-season All-Star Game. In the playoffs, Roenick played five games in an opening-round loss to the Senators.

In 2002-03, Roenick led the Flyers with 27 goals and 59 points as the team won 45 games and finished second in the Atlantic Division. He also co-led the Flyers with 32 assists and eight power-play goals. On November 16, Roenick played in his 1,000th NHL game. In February, he played in the mid-season All-Star Game. In the playoffs, he scored eight points in 13 games as the Flyers reached the second round before losing to the Senators.

In 2003-04, Roenick was limited to 62 games, but still scored 47 points as the Flyers won their third division title in five years. He finished second on the team with a .76 points-per-game average. Roenick missed more than a month of hockey with a concussion before returning with less than two weeks left in the season. On December 16, Roenick scored his 1,100th NHL point. Two weeks later on December 30, he scored two goals and an assist in his 1,100th NHL game, a 7-2 win over the Blues. In the playoffs, Roenick helped the Flyers reach the Eastern Conference final before losing to the Lightning. In the second round against the Maple Leafs, he scored the series-clinching overtime goal in game six.

Following the NHL Lockout and after the Flyers surprised everyone by signing Peter Forsberg on August 3, 2005, Roenick was traded the next day to the Los Angeles Kings in order to clear salary cap space for Forsberg's contract.

Roenick's 2005-06 campaign with the Kings was greatly disappointing, both for Roenick and for the team. Roenick decided to take the off-season to bring his hockey game to a much better form. He expressed strong interest in joining a Canadian team. "It was a nightmare season from hell last year," Roenick said, "I've always said I would like to play in Canada before my career is over,". However, on July 4, 2006, Roenick signed a one year, 1.2 million dollar deal that sent him back to the Phoenix Coyotes.

On July 4, 2007, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Roenick sent them a text message announcing his retirement from the NHL.

On July 16, 2007, Roenick's agent, Neil Abbott, released a statement indicating that the "text message retirement" announcement by the Philadelphia newspaper had been premature, and that Roenick would be making a decision on his future within the next month.

On September 4, 2007, Roenick's agent confirmed that his client had signed a one-year, $500,000 deal with the San Jose Sharks.

Personality

In the 1996 Western Conference semi-finals between the Colorado Avalanche and the Chicago Blackhawks, Roenick said, "I'd like to know where Patrick was in Game 3 (a game in which Roenick had scored on Patrick Roy), probably up trying to get his jock out of the rafters." Roy retorted with his now-famous line, "I cannot really hear what Jeremy says because I've got my two Stanley Cup rings plugging my ear."

Controversy

An infamously outspoken individual, Roenick stirred up controversy during 2004-2005's lockout, when he addressed certain fans that perceive NHL players as being spoiled. Roenick told these fans to "kiss my ass" and accused them of being jealous. He stated further that he would prefer that those fans who shared that perception no longer attend NHL games or watch them on television. Afterwards, Roenick felt his remarks had been taken out of context by ESPN. He was famously critical of both the NHL owners and the NHLPA council.

Roenick also alienated his team at the time, the Philadelphia Flyers, when he claimed to be suffering from a concussion in order to extract injury pay during the lockout, despite the Flyers' doctors having cleared him to play.

Roenick's penchant for stirring controversy also saw him claiming in 2006 that USA Hockey has "blackballed" him, and was being disrespectful by not including him on the American national team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. He claimed, "I'm a lot better player than my points indicate"; he had six goals and seven assists in 32 games when he made that comment.

On February 8, 2006, The Star Ledger reported that Roenick had been identified as one of several NHL players implicated in Operation Slapshot – an operation created with the intent to uncover a nationwide gambling ring. Other notable names involved in this investigation are Phoenix Coyotes' Assistant Coach Rick Tocchet, and wife of famous NHL player and Coyotes' head coach Wayne Gretzky, Janet Jones.

Broadcasting career

On April 11, 2007, Roenick made his debut as a Stanley Cup playoffs hockey analyst on TSN, a cable sports broadcast network in Canada.

Personal life

Roenick and his wife Tracy have two children; daughter, Brandi, and son, Brett. They live in Scottsdale, Arizona during the summer. Tracy Roenick is an avid Equestrian rider, owner and trainer who earned a spot on the United States Equestrian Team Long List in 2001.

Source: Wikipedia